For Maria Hrihorets, the piano not only reminded her of her life in Konotop, in northeastern Ukraine, but also became a vehicle for raising awareness about the country and its struggle to survive Russian aggression.
The 31-year-old is one of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian citizens who have fled the country since the civil war began in February, leaving everything behind to start a new life in Britain.
She and her mother, Lyudmila, have been living in the couple’s home in Aldridge since April, leaving Konotop during the fighting when people were temporarily allowed to escape to safety.
Maria said the change has been difficult at times.Ukraine is still where she wants to be, but she’s also gotten used to the environment in Russell.
She said: “At the moment, during the war, you just develop this feeling that the only thing you have is you can’t rely on the future.
“We try to stay at home, but we belong to Ukraine and when you think about war it’s not a good feeling, there are ups and downs, but we try to keep busy.
“I had to take a bus and train on a long and stressful trip to the Czech Republic and waited a month for my paperwork before I could travel to the UK.”
Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Maria worked as a piano teacher at Konotop’s First School.
However, Maria claims her mother had played the piano before, but wasn’t interested in it until a friend started playing it.
“We had a piano at home and my mother played it, but when she asked me to play it I refused.
“Then, just like when I was a kid, my friend started playing, and suddenly I wanted to play, imitate her, and I found it naturally.
“My teacher noticed this when I was in fourth grade and asked my parents if I was interested in taking this further and thinking about a career.
“I went to a music school in my town, practiced from 6:00 to 9:00 in the morning, took classes, played the piano until 8:00 at night, and then went home.
Although it was intense, practice was something she enjoyed, and at one point Maria said she was both practicing and studying for college.
She said her favorite composers were Beethoven and Chopin, she liked to play fast and slow pieces, and she loved Beethoven for his more dramatic style of music.
Maria says she now works at a refugee and immigration center teaching English and piano, while continuing to practice her own playing.
She will be headlining a special Ukrainian benefit concert at the Persar Evangelical Church on September 24, and said her connection with the church was almost accidental.
“I happened to find the church in Russell and made friends with the people there who introduced me to Megan Smiley who organized this concert at the church in Persol.
“She and this church have been very helpful in taking care of me and organizing this concert. until you find it.
“This concert is very natural, I feel that I can do something for my country and show that we are Ukrainians and resilient.”
Maria hears that Konotop has been recaptured by Ukrainian forces, and hopes that she and her mother will be able to visit Konotop for Christmas.
During that time, she played concerts, continuing her love of the piano, which she said helped her speak through music.
She said, “I don’t want to sound dramatic, but sometimes words can’t fully express yourself and it’s just a way of expressing how you feel.
“Sometimes it feels like I’m home, and when I’m playing certain songs, I remember playing it at home and it brings back good memories.
“While I’m here, I want to make good friends, raise awareness of my country, and tell people that Ukraine is not part of Russia, it’s their own country and their own people.
The Benefit Concert for Ukraine will be held on Saturday 24th September at the Persal Evangelical Church.
